Meat flavor composition containing succinic acid

ABSTRACT

Artificial flavoring mixtures which can impart a meaty flavor to foods. The mixtures contain an amino acid including glutamic acid, a nucleotide and critical amounts of succinic acid and a hydroxycarboxylic acid including lactic acid.

United States Patent Inventor Christiaan Herman Theodoor TonsbeekZevenaar, Netherlands Appl. No. 698,718 Filed Jan. 18, 1968 PatentedOct. 26, 1971 Assignee Lever Brothers Company New York, N.Y. PriorityJan. 20, 1967 Netherlands 6700991 MEAT FLAVOR COMPOSITION CONTAININGSUCCINIC ACID [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,326,6976/1967 Shimazono et al 99/l40 FOREIGN PATENTS 6,604,570 l0/l966Netherlands 99/140 Primary ExaminerMorris O. Wolk AssistantExaminer--Warren Bovee Attorney- Louis F. Kline, .Ir.

ABSTRACT: Artificial flavoring mixtures which can impart a meaty flavorto foods. The mixtures contain an amino acid including glutamic acid, anucleotide and critical amounts of succinic acid and a hydroxycarboxylicacid including lactic acid.

MEAT FLAVOR COMPOSITION CONTAINING SUCCINIC ACID New and valuableartificial flavoring mixtures, including concentrated as well asready-for-use foodstuffs, and processes for the preparation of suchmixtures.

The taste of meat of many commercially available foodstuffs, such assoups, gravy, and the like, is obtained by incorporating, during theirpreparation, a product commercially known as meat extract, indicatedbelow as commercial meat extract. This commercial meat extract isgenerally obtained by extraction with water of the meat of slaughteredcattle, especially horned cattle, followed by evaporation of the greaterpart of the water. The commercial meat extract thus obtained is a brownproduct generally containing 14-25 percent of moisture. This commercialmeat extract is expensive, its preparation is time consuming andrequires much energy, and the yield is only a few percent by weight ofthe expensive starting material (meat).

This commercial meat extract is not only expensive and of variablequality but after dilution with water, it has a taste different fromthat of a broth or gravy prepared direct from meat. This difference isprobably caused by certain reactions between various substances takingplace during the prolonged heating when preparing the commercial meatextract, such as between amino acids and sugars, which during thepreparation of the fresh extract proceed less far or not at all. Thusundesirable shades of" taste and the dark color may develop in thecommercial meat extract and the foodstuffs prepared with it.

An object of the invention is to provide new, improved, artificiallyprepared flavoring mixtures that do not possess the undesired shades oftaste and that are of light color, and provides concentrated as well asready-for-use foodstuffs and a process for the preparation thereof.

Using the product of this invention commercial meat extract may bepartly or entirely replaced by a meatless composition, so that, besidegiving an improved taste and a lighter color, a considerable cost savingcan be realized. A partial replacement of commercial meat extract by anartificial flavoring mixture according to the invention may already leadto a shifting into the background of an undesirable shade of taste ofthe commercial meat extract in the final foodstuff. An additionaladvantage is that-in contrast with the commercial meat extract-thecompositions obtained according to the invention may have a constantquality and a constant price.

Various publications have been issued on the composition of commercialmeat extract, e.g. by T. Wood and A. E. Bender in The BiochemicalJournal 67, 366-373 (1957), entitled Analysis of tissue constituents(commercial ox-muscle extract)." In a later publication of A. E. Bender,T. Wood and .I. A. Palgrave in Journal of the Science of Food andAgriculture"Dec.9, 1958,

812-817, entitled Analysis of tissue constituents, Extract of freshox-muscle, the composition of commercial meat extract was compared withan extract of fresh beef obtained by treating beef with ice water.

Various groups of compounds were qualitatively indicated andquantitatively determined, among which:

Amino acids and peptides Organic phosphates (inter alia phosphatecontaining amino acids) and inorganic phosphate Guanidines (especiallycreatine-creatinine) Purines (free and combined in nucleotides) Organicacids (lactic acid, glycolic acid, succinic acid, [3-

hydroxybutryic acid) as well as reducing sugars and products such ascarnitine,

urea, ammonia and inorganic material not further specified.

In a later publication of T. Wood in Journal of Science Food andAgriculture, Jan. 12, 1961, pp 61-69, entitled The browning of ox-muscleextracts, especially on page 65, artificial extracts are described,which were composed based on the results mentioned in the abovepublications.

Of these artificial extracts, in which a peptide and thephosphorus-containing amino acids were lacking, but to which a smallamount of the nucleotide inosinic acid (inosine-5'- monophosphate) hadbeen added, the authors state that this produce had only a faint tasteof meat due to the presence of this nucleotide.

In Dutch Pat. No. 6,604,570 in the name of Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Tokyo,artificial flavoring mixtures are described which serve as a substitutefor meat extract.

These mixtures include amino acids, phosphates, 5 '-nucleotides andorganic acids (especially lactic acid and succinic acid). As to theamounts of succinic acid and lactic acid this specification states thatthe total amount of organic acid is less than 3 parts by weight,preferably between 0.1 and 2 parts by weight calculated on the aminoacids excluding the glutamic acid, and that the amount of succinic acidshould not be too high (although no upper limit is given) because if theamount of succinic acid is too high a taste of crustacea (shellfish) isobtained. In this connection the publications of Wood and Bender mentionfor commercial meat extract 1.43 percent succinic acid and 16.40 percentlactic acid, i.e. a mutual weight ratio of 1:11.7, and for a productobtained by extraction of meat with ice water 0.88 percent succinic acidand 23.04 percent lactic acid, i.e. a mutual weight ratio of 1:26. Theartificial product obtained by these research workers on the basis ofthe latter composition tasted faintly like meat and therefor provide nogood substitute for commercial meat extract or meat broth.

The above-mentioned Dutch specification shows in the examples (i.e. IIto VIII) weight ratios of succinic acid to lactic acid of about 1:6 sothat upon comparison with the products with a meaty taste described byT. Wood c.s. the former products show a considerably higher quantity ofsuccinic acid.

Surprisingly it has now been found that a fuller taste of meat may beobtained if the weight ratio of succinic acid to lactic acid isconsiderably lower than that which is described in the above Dutchapplication. This better taste is obtained if the weight ratio succinicacid:lactic acid is between 1:30 and 1:150 and preferably between 1:40and 1:80. This is unexpected if one bears in mind that the patentapplication of Ajinomoto points in the direction of applying moresuccinic acid relative to lactic acid, whereas it now appeared that bythe very application of considerably lower amounts of succinic acid withregard to lactic acid better results may be obtained.

Accordingly the present invention provides an artificial flavoringmixture comprising amino acids, including glutamic acid, a nucleotide,succinic acid and a hydroxycarboxylic acid, which has two to five carbonatoms in the molecule and consists of at least 50 mol percent, based onthe hydroxy carboxylic acid, of lactic acid, in which the weight ratioof succinic acid to hydroxycarboxylic acid, calculated as the equimolaramount of lactic acid, is between 1:30 and 1:150.

It has also been found that phosphates (other than the nucleotides) likeinorganic and organic phosphates-in contrast with what has been statedin the abovementioned Dutch specification-do not constitute essentialingredients of flavoring mixtures with a meaty taste. The presence ofthese other phosphates is therefore according to the present inventionsuperfluous. However since the use of phosphates in the foodstuffsindustry is wide spread, the invention also includes the use of the newflavoring mixtures in the presence of phosphate.

As the present invention is concerned with flavoring mixtures, includingconcentrated and ready-for-use foodstuffs, it is impossible to indicateabsolute concentration areas. For a ready-for-use broth or soup it is ingeneral desirable to work in such concentrations, observing the aboveratio, that the quantity of succinic acid amounts to between 5 andmilligrams per liter.

For the present invention improved artificial flavoring mixtures areobtained with mixtures in which are present:

Amino acids, including glutamic acid (or its salts) Nucleotides Succinicacid Lactic acid and any other lower hydroxycarboxylic acid in a weightratio succinic acidzhydroxycarboxylic acid of between 1:30 and 1:150;preferably this weight ratio lies between 1:40 and 1:80.

In order to determine this weight ratio lactate, succinate and any othersalts are calculated in the form of the free acid. Any hydroxycarboxylicacid present other than lactic acid is calculated in the form of theequimolar amounts of lactic acid. The weight ratio in question iscritical for obtaining a good taste and therefore important.

Since products from natural starting materials such as commercial meatextract often vary in composition in view of their changeable startingmaterial, and since it is possible that some naturally occurringproducts fulfill the qualitative and quantitative limits of thisinvention, it is to be understood that the invention therefore does notinclude natural products such as extracts of meat, nor the incorporationthereof in foodstuffs, but is related to artificially composed flavoringmixtures.

Amino acids can be defined here as the building units of proteins. As tothe selection of the amino acids and their mutual ratios, it ispreferable to simulate the amino acid composition of beef broth.

The amino acids required for carrying out the invention may be obtainedby hydrolysis autolysis or fermentation, or combinations of theseprocesses applied to vegetable or animal proteins, such as soybeanprotein, gluten, casein and yeast, or extracts of these. Although theydiffer from the composition according to the invention, the mixturesthus obtained form an excellent starting material for such compositions.By the addition of at least some of the components: nucelotides,succinic acid and lactic acid and any other lower hydroxycarboxylicacid, the artificial flavoring substance according to the invention canbe obtained. To obtain the best results it is desirable that the aminoacid mixture has a good taste and is purified, if necessary. In additionthe inclusion of an extra quantity of certain amino acids, such asglutamic acid, methionine, alanine, tryptophane, cysteine, and the likemay be desirable. It is necessary that glutamic acid and its salts arepresent in sufficient amounts to give the desired contribution to thetaste in the final ready-for-use foodstuff, for example in a broth orsoup in a concentration of 005-7 grams per liter. As to the amount ofamino acids, especially the amount of hydrolysate, it is necessary thatthis is present in the readyfor-use foodstuff in an amount sufficient togive the desired contribution to the taste, for example, in a broth orsoup in a concentration ofO. 1-7 grams per liter.

It is usual for manufacturers of foodstuffs to add to their productsvarious materials including compositions with a taste of meat, aminoacids such as hydrolysates, autolysates, and glutamate in variableamounts. It is therefore not possible to define exactly the relativeamounts of these components in the artificial flavoring mixturesaccording to the invention since some components may be present in thefoodstuff. Thus the amount by weight of amino acid, including glutamicacid to lactic acid (calculated on hydroxycarboxylic acid) is preferablybetween 1:005 and 1:20.

The nucleotides employed according to the invention are flavor boosters,particularly the -ribonucleotides. As such are known for exampleadenosine-S'monophosphate (5- AMP), quanosine-S-monophosphate (S'GMP),inosine-5'- monophosphate (5'-IMP), xanthosine-S'-monophosphate (SXMP)uridine-5 monophosphate (5'--UMP), cytidine-5'- monophosphate (5 CMP),their amides, desoxy derivatives, salts, and the like.

According to the present invention one special nucleotide may beapplied, but it may be advantageous to use a combination of nucleotides.Owing to their differing flavoring properties the amount of nucleotidethat is employed depends, among other things, on the nature of thenucleotide used; when 5'GMP is used, the amount is 0.05-5 parts byweight per part of succinic acid and for 5'lMP 0.1-20 parts by weightper part of succinic acid. With commercially available mixturescontaining 5 '-GMP and 5'-IMP in about equal parts, addition of 0. l-lOparts by weight per part of succinic acid is sufficient.

According to the invention succinic acid and lactic acid are employedtogether, lactic acid being preferred to other lower hydroxycarboxylicacids. However, the acid may partly, i.e. to 50 mol percent be replacedby other lower hydroxycarboxylic acids containing two to five carbonatoms, such as glycolic acid, B-hydroxybutryic acid and malic acid.

A satisfying meaty taste was obtained with a mixture of amino acidsincluding glutamic acid, nucelotides, as well as succinic acid andlactic acid in a weight ratio between 1:30 and 1:150, preferably between1:40 and 1:80. In a soup such a mixture was appreciated as good by atasting panel. The appreciation was clearly less if one of thecomponents was left out or did not fulfill the indicated weight ratio ofsuccinic acid to lactic acid. Too high a dosage of the succinic acidappeared to cause a diminished appreciation of the product.

The two carboxylic acid components will not exclusively occur in thefree acid form in the composition according to the invention, butpartially in the form of their salts, since the acidity of theready-for-use product is adjusted such that the pH is from 4 to 8,preferably from 4.8 to 6.8. These salts of succinic acid and lactic acidas well as those of any other lower hydroxy acids are reduced to thecorresponding equimolar amounts of succinic acid and lactic acid for thepurpose of calculating quantities.

In order to obtain a composition with a fuller meaty taste, othersubstances may be utilized. Thus the amino acids, nucleotides, succinicacid and lactic acid in the proportions according to the invention maybe employed together with at least one compound of at least one of thefollowing classes of substances:

1. Amino acids such as homocysteic acid, ornithine, ox-

yproline, B-hydroxy glutamic acid 2. Peptides such as alanyl-alanine,alanyl-phenylalanine,

alanyl-asparagine, carnosine, anserine.

3. Sweetening substances, both artificial sweetening substances, such assaccharine or cyclamates, and sugars, particularly monoanddisaccharides.

4. Substances with the flavor of meat or broth, particularlysulfur-containing compounds, such as reaction products of amino acidslike cysteine/cystine with reducing sugars, ascorbic acid and the like,reaction products of hydrogen sulfide with lower aliphatic aldehydes andketones (e.g. propion aldehyde, croton aldehyde, methional,mercaptoacetaldehyde).

5. Other volatile sulfur compounds, such as H 8, mercaptans, disulfidesand sulfides, such as dimethyl sulfide and diallyl sulfide.

6. Guanidines, such as creatine and creatinine.

7. Salts, such as NaCl and phosphates and particularly in connectionwith pH control, acid phosphates like Na H- P0 Nal-l PQ, or other alkalior ammonium phosphates and organic phosphates, such as phosphoruscontaining amino acids. However, it is by no means essential toincorporate phosphates.

8. Nitrogen compounds, such as ammonia, amines, urea, in-

dole and skatole.

9. Unsaturated or saturated carboxylic acids with e. g. two to 12therefrom, carbon atoms.

10. Unsaturated or saturated higher hydroxycarboxylic acids and 'y and6lactones derived therefrom, such as decaand dodeca-S-olides 2,3dimethyl-2,4-alkadiene-4- olides.

11. Lower saturated and unsaturated aldehydes, such'as acetaldehyde,propion aldehyde, iso-butyraldehyde and hepten-4al.

12. Lower saturated and unsaturated ketones, such as acetone, butanoneand diacetyl.

l3. Tricholominic acid and ibotenic acid or their salts.

l4. Aromatic or nonaromatic carbocyclic and/or heterocyclic compounds,such as ortho amino-acetophenone, N-acetonyl pyrrole, maltol isomaltol,ethyl maltol, lenthionine, hypoxanthine, guanine, inosine and guanosine,

15. Lower saturated and unsaturated alcohols, such as ethanol, glycerol,octanol.

16. Coloring substances, such as e.g. curcuma, caramel.

l7. Thickening agents such as gelatin and starch.

The dosage of these optional ingredients is dependent on the kind offlavor one wishes to imitate, on the nature of the foodstuff to which itis added and or the other ingredients added, such as herbs and spices.

By flavoring mixtures according to the invention are to be understoodproducts such as: substitutes for commercial meat extract, as oneemployed in the foodstuffs industry, powdered flavor such as that whichmay be sprinkled over foodstuffs shortly before consumption, gravycubes, dried and concentrated soup and in general all ready-for-usefoodstuffs and concentrated foodstuffs which usually possess a meat orbroth flavor or in which such a shade of flavor is appreciated. Thus amore pronounced meat flavor can be imparted especially to soup,concentrated soup (e.g. tinned or dry soup), preserved meals, gravy,rissoles, preserved meat, e.g. tinned ham, with the flavoring mixtureaccording to the invention.

The flavoring mixture according to this invention may also be used toimpart a meaty flavor to potato chip and puff-type products and tomayonnaise based products.

The flavoring mixture according to the invention may be prepared simplyin the form of a paste. Likewise it is possible to prepare a granulatedor powder product by using for example fillers such as kitchen salt,starch and gelatin.

Further it is possible to coat the powdery or granulated product with asubstance such as a fat or saccharide.

The following examples are given to illustrate the invention.

EXAMPLE 1 A flavoring mixture was prepared by dissolving the followingingredients in water:

1.0 g. casein hydrolysate 1.0 g. monosodium glutamate 0.6 g.inosine-5'-monophosphate 0.15 g. succinic acid 10.0 g. lactic acid ThepH of this solution was adjusted to 6.0 and subsequently the solutionwas diluted to 1 liter. This solution is referred to as solution A.

A soup base was prepared by mixing the following ingredients anddiluting them with water to 1 liter:

6.0 g. kitchen salt 1.0 g. monosodium glutamate 0.5 g. Gistex (ex Kon.Ned. Gisten Spiritusfabriek N.V., Delft) (Gistex is a Dutch abbreviationof yeast extract) 2.0 g. lard 0.5 g. onion powder 0.02 g. curcuma 0.05g. parsley 2.0 g. casein hydrolysate 0.07 g. mixed herbs for soup To 1liter of this soup base 100 ml. of solution A was added. Another samplewas prepared by adding to 1 liter of soup base 2 g. of meat extractdissolved in 100 ml. of water. After cooking for minutes the two sampleswere tasted by a panel of 25 persons in a triangle-test. In this test 19persons recognized the deviating sample, whereas persons out of these 19preferred the sample containing flavoring mixture A. This indicates asignificant preference for the product prepared with the artificialflavoring mixture.

EXAMPLE 2 A flavoring mixture was prepared by dissolving the followingingredients in water:

1.0 g. protein hydrolysate (casein) 1.0 g. monosodium glutamate 0.6 g.inosine-S '-monophosphate 0.15 g. succinic acid 3.0 g. lactic acid ThepH of this solution was adjusted at 6.0 and subsequently diluted to 1liter. This solution is referred to as solution B.

EXAMPLE 3 Two flavoring mixtures were prepared by dissolving thefollowing ingredients in water:

Solution C Solution D Casein hydrolysate 2.00 g. 2.00 g. Monosodiumglutamate 2.00 g. 2.00 g. lnosine-5"monophosphate 0.05 g. 0.05 g.Succinic acid 0.10 g. 0.10 g. Lactic acid 0.60 g. 3.50 g.

The pH of these solutions was adjusted at 5.2 and subsequently the twosolutions were diluted to 1 liter. Then two samples were prepared bydiluting ml. of the two solutions described above to 1 liter and cookingfor 10 minutes. In an organoleptic examination by a panel of 29 persons,23 persons preferred the solution in which the weight ratio succinicacid:lactic acid is 1:35.

EXAMPLE 4 The flavoring mixtures were prepared by dissolving thefollowing ingredients in water:

The pH of these solutions was adjusted at 5.5 and subsequently the twosolutions were diluted to 1 liter. Then two samples were prepared bydiluting 100 ml. of the two solutions described above to 1 liter andcooking for 10 minutes. The two samples were tasted in a triangle-testby a panel of 47 persons. Twenty-five persons indicated the deviatingsample correctly and of these 25 persons 18- preferred the solution withthe higher content of lactic acid. The mixture in which the weight ratiosuccinic acid:lactic acid=lr60 was preferred to the mixture in whichthis weight ratio is l :35.

EXAMPLE 5 A flavoring mixture was prepared by dissolving the followingingredients in water:

1.0 g. casein hydrolysate 1.0 g. monosodium glutamate 0.6 g.inosine-5'-monophosphate 0.15 g. succinic acid 10.0 g. lactic acid 2.5g. phosphoric acid The pH of the solution was adjusted at 6.0 andsubsequently the solution was diluted to 1 liter. This solution isreferred to as Solution F.

To 1 liter soup base from example 100 ml. of solution A was added.Another sample was prepared by adding to 1 liter of this base 100 ml. ofsolution F.

After 10 minutes cooking, the two samples werejudged in a triangle-testby a group of 36 persons. Thirteen persons recognized the deviatingsample. So it appears that the panel did not taste a difference betweensoups to which phosphate had or had not been added.

EXAMPLE 6 20 The pH of this solution was adjusted at 5.2 andsubsequently the solution was diluted to 1 liter. This solution isreferred to as Solution G.

A gravy base was prepared by mixing the following ingredients anddiluting them with water to 1 liter:

3.00 g. gelatin 5.00 g. potato starch 2.50 g. onion powder 3.00 g.monosodium glutamate 5.00 g. lard 0.80 g. caramel 0.02 g. pepper 0.02 g.laurel 0.02 g. cloves 3.00 g. kitchen salt To 1 liter of theabove-mentioned gravy mixture were added 100 ml. of solution G. Anothersample was prepared by adding to the gravy base 2.5 g. of meat extractin 100 ml. of water. Both samples were cooked for 10 minutes andsubsequently judged by a panel of 23 persons. Nineteen persons of thepanel preferred the sample containing solution G.

EXAMPLE 7 Thirty g. of butter were melted and then mixed with 30 g. offlour. To this were added while stirring and heating 200 g. of brothmade from 80 g. of meat; the sauce obtained was finished with 0.01 g. ofpepper, 2 g. of kitchen salt and 0.5 g. of monosodium glutamate. 100 g.of finely divided veal, welldone in an ample amount of water, were mixedtherewith. After shaping and dusting the rissoles so produced were friedin frying fat.

1n the same way rissoles were made in which, instead of 200 ml. ofbroth, 200 ml. ofa 10 times diluted solution G (see example 6) wereadded.

A panel of 25 persons did not detect a significant difference betweenthe two formulations.

EXAMPLE 8 Spun soybean protein fibers were thoroughly washed andsubsequently roughly cut. The pieces thus obtained were ground with anexcess of water in a household mixer and then sieved out. The mixturewas then cooked in water for minutes, and after cooling separated usinga sieve from the superfluous water. Further water was removed bypressing the sieved-out product in a cloth. To 100 g. of this productwas subsequently added 1 g. kitchen salt, g. of pasteurized egg whiteand some caramel. After mixing thoroughly the mixture was pressed intoan artificial sausage casing and coagulated in a boiling water bath for30 minutes.

In exactly the same way imitation meat was made to which besides 1 g. ofkitchen salt, 20 g. white of a chicken egg and caramel, a dry mixturewas added of:

0.040 g. casein hydrolysate 0.010 g. inosine-5-monophosphate 0.005 g.succinic acid 0.300 g. sodium lactate All tasters were unanimously ofthe opinion that the latter product had a good taste of cooked meat,whereas the former product only had a salty taste.

EXAMPLE 9 Two flavoring mixtures were prepared by dissolving thefollowing ingredients in water:

Solution H Solution J Casein hydrolysate, nonsaline 1.10 1.0 Monosodiumglutamate 0.19 lnosine-5'-monophosphate 0.10 0.45 Succinic acid 0.180.18 Lactic acid 1.20 12.5 Kitchen salt 0.30 1.0 Phosphoric acid 0.20Sodium tartrate 0.10 Ammonium chloride 0.16 Glucose 0.50 Lactose 0.16Maize starch 0.05 Creatine 0.31 0.30

The pH of these two solutions was adjusted at 5.5 and subsequently thetwo solutions were diluted to 1 liter.

2 liters of soup base were prepared by mixing the following ingredientsand diluting them with water to 2 liters:

3.92 g. lard 0.28 g. garlic powder 0.34 g. carrot powder 0.22 g. carameldye 4.92 g. sugar 14.6 g.salt

0.1 12 g. onion powder 3.92 g. monosodium glutamate l 1.2 g. caseinhydrolysate 1.34 g. meat extract To this soup base were added per literml. solution H and 100 ml. solution .1, respectively. After cooking for10 minutes the two soups were judged organoleptically by a taste panelof 29 persons. Twenty-six persons preferred the soup prepared withsolution J.

EXAMPLE 10 A dried pulverized flavoring mixture was prepared in thefollowing way: 825 g. sodium lactate solution (60 percent by weight pH6.0) were mixed with 1,200 g. potato starch. After setting a loose massresulted, which was dried and subsequently ground. To 1,100 g. of thepowder obtained in this way the following ground ingredients were added:

6.0 g. succinic acid 15.0 g. inosine-5'-monophosphate 3.0 g.guanosine-S'-monophosphate 100 g. casein hydrolysate 100 g. kitchen salt10.0 g. taurine 10.0 g. glucose 2.0 g. malic acid By thoroughly mixingthese components a pulverized flavoring mixture was obtained.Subsequently two samples were prepared, one by dissolving 5 g. ofcommercial meat extract in 1 liter of water and another by dissolving 7g. of the flavoring mixture described above in 1 liter of water. Aftercooking for 10 minutes the two samples were judged organoleptically.

The taste of the solution containing the artificial flavoring mixturewas almost unanimously preferred.

EXAMPLE 1 l A dry soup was prepared by mixing the following ingredients:

70.0 g. pulverized artificial flavoring mixture (see example 10.0 g.monosodium glutamate 20.0 g. casein hydrolysate 30.0 g. dried onions40.0 g. dried meat 10.0 g. milk powder 50.0 g. fat

4.0 g. paprika 2.0 g. dried green leek 0.2 g. pepper 0.2 g. thyme 0.1 g.laurel 0.1 g. mace 60.0 g. salt A ready-for-use soup was prepared byadding 65 g. of this dry powder to 2 liters of hot water. After cookingfor 10 minutes this soup was organoleptically judged and qualified as avery good beef soup.

EXAMPLE 12 A soup base of a volume of 2 liters was prepared from thefollowing ingredients:

200 g. leeks 120 g. noodles 100 g. carrots 70 g. onions 32 g. kitchensalt 25 g. fat 10 g. celery leaves 10 g. parsley g. monosodium glutamate2 g. hydrolyzed soy protein 0. 2 g. pepper A flavoring mixture wasprepared by dissolving the followin g ingredients in water:

16.0 g. lactic acid 10.0 g. kitchen salt 0.3 g. succinic acid 0.7 g.inosine-5'-monophosphate 0.1 g. 5 '-guanosine-5 '-monophosphate 2.0 g.creatine 0.2 malic acid The pH of this solution was adjusted to 5.8 andthe volume of the solution was made up to 1 liter.

A concentrated soup was prepared by mixing 400 ml. of the soup base with100 ml. of the flavoring composition. The resulting product wassterilized in 0.5 liter cans for 1 hour at 120 C. A reference sample wasprepared by mixing 400 ml. of the soup base with 100 ml. of watercontaining 1.5 g. of meat extract of first quality. This referencesample was sterilized in the same way as the sample with the flavoringcomposition.

A product ready for consumption was prepared by mixing the contents offour cans with 2 liters of water and by heating the resulting mixture tothe boil.

Both samples were tasted by a panel consisting of 35 persons.Twenty-seven members of the panel preferred the sample containing theartificial flavoring composition.

What is claimed is:

1. An artificial flavoring mixture comprising at least one amino acidincluding glutamic acid, a nucleotide, succinic acid and a hydroxycarboxylic acid said hydroxycarboxylic acid having from 2 to 5 carbonatoms in the molecule and consisting of at least 50 mol percent,calculated on the hydroxycarboxylic acid, of lactic acid, in whichmixture the weight ratio of succinic acid to hydroxycarboxylic acid(calculated as the equimolar amount of lactic acid) is between 1:30 and1:150.

2. An artificial flavoring mixture as claimed in claim 1 in which theweight ratio of succinic acid to the hydroxycarboxylic acid is between1:40 and 1:80.

3. An artificial flavoring mixture as claimed in claim 1 in which thehydroxycarboxylic acid consists of lactic acid.

4. An artificial flavoring mixture as claimed in claim 1 in which thenucleotide comprises a 5'-ribonu cleotide.

5. An artificial flavoring mixture as claimed in claim 4 In which the5'-ribonucleotide is guanosine-5 '-monophosphate.

6. An artificial flavoring mixture as claimed in claim 4 in which the5'-ribonuc1eotide is inosine-S-monophosphate.

7. An artificial flavoring mixture as claimed in claim 1 in which theweight ration of succinic acid to nucleotide is between 1:005 and 1:20.

8. An artificial flavoring mixture as claimed in claim 1 in which theweight ratio of'amino acid, including glutamic acid. tohydroxycarboxylic acid is between 120.05 and 1:20.

9. An artificial flavoring mixture as claimed in claim 1 in which theamino acids are obtained by a'process selected from hydrolysis,autolysis and fermentation of materials selected from vegetable andanimal proteins and extracts thereof and in which at least oneadditional amino acid selected from methionine, alanine, tryptophane andcysteine has been added.

10. A foodstuff comprising an artificial flavoring mixture as claimed inclaim 1.

11. A process for the production of an artificial flavoring mixture asclaimed in claim 1 comprising mixing at least one amino acid includingglutamic acid, a nucleotide, succinic acid and a hydroxy carboxylic acidsaid hydroxycarboxylic acid having from 2 to 5 carbon atoms in themolecule and consisting of at least 50 mol percent, calculated on thehydroxycarboxylic acid, of lactic acid, in which mixture the weightratio of succinic acid to hydroxycarboxylic acid (calculated as theequimolar amount of lactic acid) is between 1:30 and 1:150.

2. An artificial flavoring mixture as claimed in claim 1 in which theweight ratio of succinic acid to the hydroxycarboxylic acid is between1:40 and 1:80.
 3. An artificial flavoring mixture as claimed in claim 1in which the hydroxycarboxylic acid consists of lactic acid.
 4. Anartificial flavoring mixture as claimed in claim 1 in which thenucleotide comprises a 5''-ribonucleotide.
 5. An artificial flavoringmixture as claimed in claim 4 in which the 5''-ribonucleotide isguanosine-5''-monophosphate.
 6. An artificial flavoring mixture asclaimed in claim 4 in which the 5''-ribonucleotide isinosine-5''-monophosphate.
 7. An artificial flavoring mixture as claimedin claim 1 in which the weight ration of succinic acid to nucleotide isbetween 1:0.05 and 1:20.
 8. An artificial flavoring mixture as claimedin claim 1 in which the weight ratio of amino acid, including glutamicacid, to hydroxycarboxylic acid is between 1:0.05 and 1:20.
 9. Anartificial flavoring mixture as claimed in claim 1 in which the aminoacids are obtaiNed by a process selected from hydrolysis, autolysis andfermentation of materials selected from vegetable and animal proteinsand extracts thereof and in which at least one additional amino acidselected from methionine, alanine, tryptophane and cysteine has beenadded.
 10. A foodstuff comprising an artificial flavoring mixture asclaimed in claim
 1. 11. A process for the production of an artificialflavoring mixture as claimed in claim 1 comprising mixing at least oneamino acid including glutamic acid, a nucleotide, succinic acid and ahydroxy carboxylic acid said hydroxycarboxylic acid having from 2 to 5carbon atoms in the molecule and consisting of at least 50 mol percent,calculated on the hydroxycarboxylic acid, of lactic acid, in whichmixture the weight ratio of succinic acid to hydroxycarboxylic acid(calculated as the equimolar amount of lactic acid) is between 1:30 and1:150.